I’ve seen a team who play football like no other. Who follow the same rules as everyone else, but interpret the game so differently it’s as if they’ve honed their style in isolation without ever watching another match.

Much of the 2014 World Cup has been magical. Enterprising, attacking football, great players living up to expectations, unforeseen results and unlikely comebacks. Even the odd bit of scandal. Just one element has been missing – the identity of Brazilian football.

You know that moment in late September when you look to exploit the autumn warmth with a barbecue? You nip into the supermarket and head for the ‘seasonal goods’ aisle only to find they’ve replaced the firelighters and wooden kebab skewers with Christmas cards and tinsel.

It's all over bar the play-offs, the Champions League final and the World Cup. And, as the footballing ultra-marathon that is the Europa League kicks off before the confetti will take flight in Rio, it’s as good as time as any to hand out the Final Third silverware.

In football, there are vastly different degrees of suffering. For one fan, disaster might be dropping out of the Football League, for another, finishing seventh in the Premier League is as bad as it’s ever been.

Forget the thrashings, managerial changes and £100million worth of players who haven't quite lived up to the billing, Tottenham fans have reason to be cheerful - they've released their latest financial figures! We wade through the good news.